Seasonal variations in food resource partitioning among four sympatric gudgeon species in the upper Yangtze River

Knowledge of food resource partitioning among sympatric fish species is crucial for understanding the potential mechanisms of species coexistence. Gudgeons (Teleostei: Cyprinidae: Gobioninae) often dominate fish assemblages in the upper Yangtze River. However, little research has been conducted on t...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Ecology and Evolution
Main Authors: Liu, Fei, Wang, Jianwei, Liu, Huanzhang
Format: Report
Language:English
Published: WILEY 2019
Subjects:
feeding habit
Gobioninae
resource partitioning
the upper Yangtze River
Environmental Sciences & Ecology
Evolutionary Biology
Ecology
SCULPIN COTTUS-POECILOPUS
SALMO-SALAR L
NICHE OVERLAP
LAKE MALAWI
FISHES
COEXISTENCE
DIET
HECKEL
Salmo salar
Online Access:http://ir.ihb.ac.cn/handle/342005/33228
http://ir.ihb.ac.cn/handle/342005/33229
https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.5293
Description
Summary:Knowledge of food resource partitioning among sympatric fish species is crucial for understanding the potential mechanisms of species coexistence. Gudgeons (Teleostei: Cyprinidae: Gobioninae) often dominate fish assemblages in the upper Yangtze River. However, little research has been conducted on their trophic interactions. In this paper, seasonal diet and feeding strategy variations of four sympatric gudgeon species, Coreius guichenoti, Coreius heterodon, Rhinogobio ventralis, and Rhinogobio cylindricus, were investigated by analysis of intestinal tract contents, aiming to explore whether food resource partitioning occurred among them. Fish specimens were collected during spring (April-May) and autumn (August-October) in 2010 in Hejiang, a free-flowing stretch of the upper Yangtze River. Coreius guichenoti, C. heterodon, and R. cylindricus showed omnivorous feeding habits, while R. ventralis exhibited an obligate carnivore feeding habit. Diet overlap among the four studied species was high, especially in spring. However, changes in feeding strategies were observed in autumn. Specifically, C. guichenoti and R. cylindricus expanded their dietary niche breadth and consumed detritus, Sinopotamidae or Hydropsychidae as important complementary food resources. In contrast, C. heterodon and R. ventralis reduced their dietary niche breadth and became more specialized on mussels (Limnoperna lacustris). These results confirmed that sympatric fish species can coexist with high diet overlap, and food resource partitioning among these species may also fluctuate with the seasons.

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